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Two Weeks in the Field

I’ve just returned home from two weeks in the field and I’m badly behind in my blog posts, image updates and client contacts. I left for West Texas the morning after the Texas Landscape Safari and covered over 3400 miles in my trusty Subaru Forester with my oldest living friend (and sherpa) Jack. We explored the back-country roads of Big Bend National Park, Big Bend Ranch State Park and Brewster county without a single mechanical issue (knock on wood).

We hiked to some of the most remote locations in Big Bend and climbed rock after rock in search of the that perfect spot to photograph. We saw black bears, white-tailed deer and more birds than you can imagine. We tracked a mountain lion and its cubs and saw a hawk snatch a rattle-snake right before our eyes. We crossed paths with the fierce Texas Javelina and wisely gave them plenty of space. We saw desert lizards, spiders and ants and some of the largest species of wasp I’ve ever encountered.

We had no television, no newspaper, no Internet and very limited cell phone reception and didn’t miss being “out of touch” one little bit. We were stopped by border patrol several times but never felt “unsafe” so close to the Mexican border. We witnessed a few questionable activities on the Rio Grande but the border patrol folks seemed to have the situation well in hand.

The people we met in Big Bend National Park, Big Bend Ranch State Park and in Terlingua were some of the most friendly and helpful folks you’d ever want to meet. They made us feel welcome, at home and at ease even when we asked question after question. By the end of our time in the region we were both tired and sore but refreshed and rejuvenated by the beauty and grandeur of the Texas desert along the Rio Grande river.